Eighteen hikers came out on the last Sunday of April for our annual hike to the top of Rest and Be Thankful Hill.

The first stop was the old channel in an area where the Battle River used to flow.

The river has moved south of this spot, but the beavers haven’t moved. These channels on the slope and the small channel in the riverbed that still has water was carved out and is maintained by the beavers.

We found Prairie Crocus along with wild onions, cactus, and a Comma butterfly.

The amazing find of the day was these muskrat skull parts.

Two of the hikers took “Rest and Be Thankful” to heart and packed in camping chairs. We took turns trying them out at the top of the hill.

Thanks to Mary for scouting and leading the hike and to the landowners for their generous continuing support. You can see all the photos on Flickr.

Where we’re going next.

Fourteen hikers came out on a gusty spring morning to hike the trail along Saunders Lake. The trail was dry and the lake was free of ice. The warm winds have already cleared away any moisture left from winter.

The highlight of the day was the animal sightings. From our lunch spot up on a slope, we saw a large coyote bounding along below. As soon as we came into his sight, he took off like a shot. In clear view, we watched him run the distance along the lake to the edge of the forest.

We also that the eagle is back. He soared across the lake and landed at the usual nesting spot. Then he flew back to our side, soaring almost directly over our heads.

Also on the trail we saw some bright clean bones scattered around. These are possibly from a deer.